Day Six: 1983

Today my mother took me around the island to all of the places that she and her friends lived and worked. We spent the day mostly down on the southern end of the island by Sombrero Beach and the marina. My mother came to the Keys after a brief stint in Virginia Beach and stayed for almost two years until she and Lance decided to get married in 1984. It took her a little while to find everything, with age comes memory loss, but eventually we got there and no stone was left untouched.

Where she worked when she first arrived. 

Pancho's, the place to be after work. 

The duplex apartment she shared with her roommate. 

Annette, my mother's roommate. 

What used to be the Captain's Galley where Lance worked. 

Lance's apartment on 11th Street. 

Herbies on Marathon

Herbies is a small shack off of Route 1 on Vaca Key in the city of Marathon. Small and without the pretentiousness of other established restaurants next door, Herbies serves simple, delicious food that has stood the test of time. Already a local institution in 1984, my mother took me back there today for lunch where it was still packed as ever. The menu is a simple selection of local seafood cooked to comfort and perfection and nothing suits your fancy Herbies will clean and blacken your catch of the day for only $10.

Daily specials.

Conch fritters the size of my fist.

Sparse decorations on plain walls, but we just came for the food.

Fried oyster sandwich.

Buoys hung on the walls.